Packing up items for the move and stumbled on a few items tucked into my Dad's Cambria Steel book from college. Most were conversion charts and other logical reference cards on strength of materials type stuff that you would expect for a student in Mechanical Engineering.
One stood out
a clipping of "The Ring of Hans Carver" (after Rabelais) - which appears to be some form of Ballads, Sailors' Songs, Cowboy Songs, College Songs, Parodies, Limericks, and other humorous verses and doggerel according to Immortalia - a compendium of sorts of such things.
"The Ring of Hans Carver" (after Rabelais)
by Joseph T. Shipley
What has she done that you should suspect her, Hans?
Is not your love enough to protect her, Hans?
Is she a fire stirred by so many fans
You must have power greater than any man's?
Hear then a wondrous thing;
The wearer of this ring
all other lovers bans
Hans.
Hans woke, in his lusty pride,
To wreak his love on his bride,
What was the ring the dawn would bring?
He blushed, for his hand was pressed
in passions nest...
And then Hand ruefully knew
His dream was true.
It should be noted that so far as I know my father was NO fan of poetry or literature, or even reading for pleasure or appreciation of the craft. So what was this snippet doing in the book? What it is about? Is it an, er, morning type dream that Hans has had?
Many questions. No source for answers.
